Coming Home in Mt Laurel

A couple finds perfection in their dream home.

Written by Lindsey Osborne

Photography by Edward Badham

Keith Weaver and Todd Tucker’s home was inspired by a somewhat unlikely source; ever since they saw the movie Something’s Gotta Give, they’ve dreamed of owning a home with such a classic, timeless look. “That home is probably our all-time favorite home. We love that architectural style and feeling. The feeling that we wanted our home to have is light, airy, and peaceful,” says Weaver. “A place where friends and family would always feel welcome.”

The couple, who are both professional real estate agents (Weaver with RE/MAX Southern Homes and Tucker with Signature Homes), didn’t have to look far to find the perfect place to build their dream home. They had already lived in the Mt Laurel community for 12 years and they knew from the beginning that they didn’t want to leave. “We decided to stay in Mt Laurel and build this home because there truly isn’t anything like it in the city of Birmingham,” Weaver explains. “There isn’t anything like Mt Laurel. You come home and you feel like you’re on vacation. Not to mention the architecture—there’s nothing else like it in Birmingham.”

In January of 2015, the pair decided to make the leap to build in Mt Laurel. After discussing their options with the Mt Laurel team, Weaver and Tucker chose a floor plan designed by Chuck Frusterio. With the Something’s Gotta Give home in their minds—as well as details from another Mt Laurel home plan, the Finn home—they worked alongside Frusterio to hone the design until it was theirs. Changes included adding more windows and doors, expanding the kitchen island, relocating the stairs, reimagining the master bathroom, adding a home office, and more. Perhaps their favorite custom feature is the stone façade on the front of the house. “Chuck knocked it out of the ballpark,” Weaver says of their happiness with the final design. “He did everything we asked him to.”

From there, Weaver and Tucker embarked on the building process, which they were very involved in, especially given their line of work. “It was a true labor of love for us. Little did I know it was going to be another full-time job,” Weaver says with a grin. “After the design was in place, we had to worry about a million intricate details, like where the air returns were located—things a lot of people don’t think about. But that’s because we’re in that business and we understand that process.” The couple also had a hand in choosing almost every stylistic detail in their house, from the Carrera marble and soapstone on the kitchen countertops to the brushed nickel bathroom fixtures to the porcelain bathtub to the color of the floors. It was tedious, they say, but well worth it to create the look they’ve dreamed of for years. After months of making decisions, the pair moved into their new home in July of 2015.

Their favorite space by far is the kitchen, which is much bigger than the one they had before. “We knew we wanted a home with a bigger kitchen—that was the most important aspect of building a new home,” Tucker says. “And we knew we wanted a classic white kitchen with classic countertops, as well as to have professional grade appliances and lots of storage.” The kitchen is as beautiful as it is functional, with a mantle hood and a stainless steel farmhouse sink. As the couple hoped, it’s one that will remain in style for decades on account of the timeless features they selected for it.

Such timelessness is carried throughout the home, just as they planned. Many of their decorative features hail from Restoration Hardware and were chosen by Tucker. Other stylistic elements—like the master bedroom bedding and the design of Weaver’s home office—were implemented by Richard Tubb Interiors. Weaver says they put a lot of thought into choosing each component, hoping to combine both masculine and feminine design into a cohesive look as well as nod to the places they’ve traveled over the years. As classic as it is, the home also has elements of their personalities woven throughout its fabric: there’s a portrait of their first pets, two dogs, who have since passed away; photos of their wedding in Napa Valley, California; and a room dedicated to the memory of Weaver’s father, which showcases touches like a bed his father built and his father’s old reading glasses.

While there are still improvements they hope to make—they want to finish an upstairs attic space to create a home office for Tucker—they say it has always felt like home. And while they can’t say for sure that they’ll be here forever, they can’t imagine another place that could be more perfect for them. “We’re excited to build our future together while living in such a wonderful home,” Tucker says.